The hard business of the hard timber

Less than four weeks ago, we mentioned the social commitment of the
Reutlinger venerable old company on this side of praise. Reminder:
Since 1993, Reutlingen has earmarked a 250 000-euro donation from the
Danzer Foundation. With the proceeds from the stock of capital
projects will be promoted in the partner city of Bouake. For example,
the project of the Association "Saint Camille," the mentally ill makes
a fairly decent life.
The reason for the social commitment of the Reutlinger Danzers in
Twin town: The veneer giant has laid the wooden foundation of its
international operations in the Ivory Coast.
Less, it seems far away in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to
be where the company now embarks for nearly four decades, tropical
timber with the charity of the Danzer Group. Since 1993, the territory
of Bumba - Equateur Province. There, however, in the shape of the
subsidiary "Siforce" against the Greenpeace now raises strong
allegations.

Background of dealing with the population is a contract which was not
observed by Danzer. Who wants to chop timber in the Congo, and needs a
concession is granted only to those who support social projects in the
region. In order to get a logging Konzessesion, must be received by
the company called a "cahiers des charges", an agreement, from the
precisely stating what has to be the respective company undertakes.
Danzer in the case of this contract was signed in January 2005. Has
promised to build a school and a health facility.
"Danzer this promise has not met until today, but continue to cut down
the forests," Greenpeace says the new "Report." The villagers, who
felt cheated of their rightful compensation began to fight back. As
tools were stolen from the construction site, drove hard to Siforco
guns: The Congolese police and the military, both not exactly known,
that they proceed gingerly launched a retaliatory mission which
resulted in one fatality and several injured. "Siforco," the
accusation of Greenpeace, not only provided the logistics for the
attack - a truck with a driver - it also paid the thugs.
The Danzer Group, which has its management for African business still
comes in Reutlingen, not for the first time in negative headlines.
Already in 2006 the prosecution in Switzerland determined following a
complaint by Greenpeace against the Danzer subsidiary Interholco. The
reason: criminal practices in Africa. Also, because the company ran
into the twilight bribery.
And now the raid in the Congo. "We have this violence in no way
intentional," affirmed by Olof Gagern, the Africa Director of the
Danzer Group on Swiss television. But it is the duty of the
international community is to see to it that the governments in "those
countries" are democratically. At the same time, Miriam Kopp
criticized by Greenpeace, get the company for years but Danzer funds
from the European Development Fund. Just to improve the structures in
poor African countries. From this perspective, the Danzer Group would
be twice the responsibility.
But the company is in good company: Among strategic plans developed by
the German government's relations with the Congo, which is interesting
because of its commodities. May on such trivial things as human rights
violations in doubt since taken no account of short werden.uschi